Whispers in the Winter Air
by CaylieCapybara
Summary: I'm using xBleach-Literaturex's 100 Bleach Theme challenge from DeviantArt, all credit for the themes go to them. I don't see many theme challenges based on Bleach so I couldn't help myself when I saw this one! Ratings vary, Rated M overall, just in case!
1. 1 Shinigami

_Quick Disclaimer: The chapters within this story are written by me, but Bleach and its characters do not belong to me. I'm merely borrowing them for these stories to play along with my OC, Chessebelle Chiyoko. I welcome any and all criticism to help me grow as a writer. Thanks for giving my story a read, and I hope you enjoy!_

 **"Don't you ever think about the before?"**

Chessebelle didn't bat an eye at the question Shinji posed. The woman continued her work, clacking the keys on the computer noisily in comparison to the otherwise silent laboratory. However, she felt the need to give him a verbal answer; he never liked when she didn't acknowledge him, whether it be a question or his prescence in general.

 **"No, Captain Hirako. Why waste my time thinking about things like that when work can be done."** Her flat voice made it clear that it wasn't a question.

 **"Well, I think about it..."** He paused, the blonde floating through the desolate laboratory, his fingers gently grazing the edge of the steel tables. Long blonde locks followed him like a separate entity, an afterimage of himself. **"I just figured you might as well, Chessebelle Chiyoko."** Shinji flashed his signature grin over at the white-haired woman, punctuating every syllable in her name as he joined her at her computer, brown eyes focusing on her instead of the monitor she had been intently staring at the whole time they were in this cold laboratory.

This time, she did bat an eye. Blinking, the woman paused her own work, her fingers hesitating on the next keys in her series of coding. **"Well, I don't."** The shinigami resumed her work while the tall man next to her gave an exaggerated sigh. **"Yer no fun, you know that, girly?"**

The truth was, she often thought about what her previous life may have held for her. She wasn't sure of anything, of course, but she did like to think that maybe she was better at telling the truth in her previous life, that maybe she was better at showing her feelings in her previous life... That maybe she even had friends in her previous life that missed her dearly.

The clacking of the keys filled the room once more as the blonde continued to pace around the laboratory to find something to occupy himself with, while the other shinigami tried to push the thoughts that plagued her sleepless nights out of her mind while she worked.


	2. 8 Injury

A hiss filtered through her teeth as Chessebelle weaved the needle into her forearm, stitching up the large gash she had acquired from her most recent outing to the world of the living. The amount of hollows infiltrating Karakura Town recently were off the charts, and the head-captain was starting to send out order for the twelfth division to explain the numbers, as if they could produce the answer from their asses after visiting the world of the living a few times.

Captain Kurotsuchi had sent the fourth-seat by herself today, insisting that she didn't need any help with this child's mission, and if she did then she had no right to come back to his barracks. She hadn't objected to the idea, and instead carried out her orders without another thought that night.

It was a breezy night in the Seireitei, moonlight soaking the grounds of the barracks, and only the occasional sound of shinigami training could be heard.

Continuing her stitches, the woman meticulously worked. The wind only made the wound sting more as she mended it. She preferred the old fashioned ways of healing when it came to less severe, like the humans did with their fragile bodies. She liked to see how her injuries fared with the barbarian ways rather than healing kido-it was like her own personal experiment on herself to keep track of. The shinigami had scars all over her body but she was holding up in her skin just as the humans did.

Once finished with her mending, the woman cut the thin transparent thread and stared out her window at the twelfth division's grounds. She had a nice room in the barracks; a decent bed, a desk next to the window, wardrobe, and a bathroom down the hall just for seated officers. While Chessebelle preferred her laboratory over all other environments, her personal room came second. Her fingers danced over her new stitches mindlessly as she stared out into the night. _'Another one to add to the ever-growing collection.'_ The thought came and left the woman as she stared blankly into the night, her dark circles pronounced in the dim lighting.

Glancing at her desk, the stack of papers she had to fill out about her mission were taunting at her. She found the motivation to drag herself from the window, wishing to fill them out thoroughly and give the report to the captain before daybreak.

She continually paused to graze her new wound, as if it was a nervous tick.


	3. 54 Jealousy

**"Yer jealous, huh?"**

The annoying, smug tone in his voice screeched in her ears. Bringing her dainty fingers to her temples, Chessebelle massaged her head in an attempt to rid the grating sound that Shinji was causing with his voice.

 **"You are! I can see it written all over yer face!"**

Again, Chessebelle ignored the blonde egging her on, wanting to incite a reaction from her. She wouldn't give him the time of day on this matter. She certainly didn't care that he was constantly being hounded by various Gotei 13 members, nor did she care that he was relentlessly teased by Hiyori Sarugaki-a fellow twelfth division member-and she most definitely didn't give one flying fuck that Shinji had the bad habit of calling all the pretty women in Seireitei his first love.

 **"I never would have pegged you fer the jeal-"**

Normally, the white-haired woman never had a problem controlling her emotions and keeping herself flat and monotonous in her everyday life. She had been a person that laid low and worked hard to reach her goals, never making any waves that would cast her a negative light towards superiors. However, with every word he spoke, she was being driven up the wall until she couldn't take it anymore.

Jumping up from her spot in his Captain's room, she unleashed her pent up rage that had begun festering as soon as she had heard the other women talking about the so-called date that was happening between himself and the newest tenth division lieutenant, Rangiku Matsumoto.

 **"I'm not fucking jealous! You're an insufferable braggart, Captain Hirako, and I can't even begin to fathom the idea of being romantically inclined towards someone as horribly immature and vain as yourself! If you'll excuse me... Captain."**

Shinji was taken aback by her sudden outburst. His signature grin was gone, replaced with a look of shock at his normally emotionless companion's harsh words. However, as she began moving towards the door to leave, his grin returned and he reached the sliding door before her, standing with his hand against the handle.

 **"You know I wasn't going to do on any date. Plenty of beautiful girls in the Seireitei, plenty of interesting girls too, but none of them are on par with the level of complexity that you bring to the table."** His grin melted the hard glare she gave him only partially, her anger still radiating from her body like a fire. His free hand reached for her wild hair, done up in her normal 'style' of braids in random places, bamboo holders clamped around some pieces, and even rings tied to the end of other pieces. She immediately reached up to block his touch, his hand wrapping around hers, and pulling her closer to him until she was on her tip toes as he stretched her arm.

 **"Plus, you look like yer no fun at all, but then you unleash this kind of emotion on me, and I realize why you caught my attention in the first place."** He paused, bringing his face close to her ear, his breath tickling it as he added to his original comment. **"Those exhausted eyes of yers don't do you any justice to the fire inside of you. But I could see past that bored expression you always wear, you know that."**

Chessebelle rolled her eyes, feeling a blush creeping up to the tops of her cheeks but willing herself to keep it from showing on her pale complexion. She loathed him, she could admit that to herself _(and anyone else if they asked)_ , but she couldn't admit to even that small voice in her head that she may be infatuated with the tall, blonde and handsome captain.


	4. 57 Aizen

**"Lieutenant Aizen, I didn't realize you were in there, apologies."** Chessebelle quickly bowed her head out of respect to Sosuke Aizen. The man smiled down at her, closing his eyes pleasantly as he returned her bow despite his superiority.

 **"That's quite alright..."** He opened his eyes now, looking down at her with warm brown eyes, waiting for her to introduce herself to him. He had seen the tiny shinigami around the fifth division barracks, although she was quite stealthy when she did visit. The captain had yet to indulge him on his pet's name, nor did he think that he would give him any information on the woman if he were to be frank.

 **"Chessebelle Chiyoko, unseated member of Squad Twelve, sir."** The woman stood upright now, her torso pushed out slightly and her neck high, as if she was trying to appear taller. This unconscious need for height apparently embedded so long ago that her posture had now grown accustomed to attempting to facilitate it. Aizen nodded as he repeated her name in his head, his smile growing as he moved out of the way of his captain's quarters. He didn't exactly wonder why this twelfth division member was coming around the fifth division, especially with how his captain was with women, but he did wonder why someone like her was showing up at his doorstep like a lost puppy at this time of evening.

 **"Well, Ms. Chiyoko, don't let me be in your way. Maybe we shall see each other again another time."** Aizen gave another bow to her in goodbye, Chessebelle returning the gesture, before turning on his heel and walking down the hall.

The white-haired shinigami moved back towards Shinji's door, sliding it open and looking over at the familiar blonde's desk. He was usually messing with a pen or simply laying back with his head in his hands, but this time he was standing at his office window. He turned to face his visitor.

Chessebelle was surprised to see his normal grin turned upside down into a toothy grimace, as if something might be bothering him. Arching a thick brow, she posed a silent question to the man. His face changed almost immediately, Chessebelle wondering if she had actually seen the frown on his face, moving across the room and back to his usual perch at his desk, waving her to come inside while he fiddled with that strange device that would play his favorite music.

She entered the room as Shinji started playing the 'record,' closing the door behind her. She wondered what could have turned his usual cheshire cat grin upside down; his lieutenant had seemed cheery enough when she met him, she wasn't sure why he always said he didn't like the guy.


	5. 17 Accident

Butterflies fluttered in Chessebelle's stomach as she sat down after recieving her squad assignment for the Gotei 13. Tears were beginning to well in her eyes as she returned from the stage where Head-Captain Genryusai Yamamoto gave her his congratulations and his orders. She wasn't sad or nervous, the butterflies and tears were coming from a different beast altogether that had flowed through her veins since she failed her Shin'o Academy exam for the Gotei 13 the first time.

She was embarrassed. Her face, as always, was a blank slate with slate blue eyes looking ahead at the next person to be given their orders and station within the Gotei 13.

It was a mistake that she was even in the Gotei 13. She should've never been allowed to join after she had failed the test, again and again. She was useless and always would be, but that fateful day at the testing center had given her an opportunity she couldn't refuse. She was desperate for a way out of the Rukongai, to give her family a better life, to find true purpose for her life and she greedily switched her exam with someone else's at the last moment.

Chessebelle let the tears fall, landing on her assignment papers. The water was absorbed by the parchment, feathering out as the paper drank it deep.

It was an accident that she was here and now serving to protect soul's lives within the Seireitei. It was an accident that she was praised for her incredible intellect and exceptional kido skills. It was an accident that she ever stepped foot in the Shin'o academy.

She would never be anything but an accident-a stain on the otherwise pristine selection of candidates for the Gotei 13, similar to the way her tears were tainting her own assignment papers.


	6. 61 Ghosts of the Past

Dangling her feet off the side of the roof, Chessebelle laid back and closed her eyes.

The roof of the sixth division's south barracks was one of Shinji's favorite places to meet up due to its lovely view of Ginrei Kuchiki's-now Byakuya Kuchiki's-personal pond, large koi swimming about and lilypads floating gracefully along its surface. He often invited her to go down and skinny dip with him, but she would always refuse with a small smile pulling at the corners of her lips-it was one of his favorite dumb jokes to make. She remembered the first time he had invited her, the memory so vivid behind the veil of her eyelids, as if she were watching a movie about her own life.

* * *

 **"Aren't you tired of meeting in my office? It's such a bore there. My personal room is a little more fun, I'll give you that, but don't you want to meet somewhere fit for a beauty such as yourself?"** Chessebelle never seemed to respond to compliments like this, pretending he hadn't said anything about her appearance, but always making a tally mark in her head. She liked the attention but, just like her crush on the captain, she wouldn't admit it out loud-she would just keep score for her own personal satisfaction.

 **"Well, I have no qualms about your office, Captain Hirako. Nor do I have anything against my own laboratory."** Her flat voice echoed off of the steel walls, her eyes unmoving from the notepad in front of her as she scrawled notes about her latest experiment. **"Although, it sounds like you'd like to leave my temple."** She paused now, her eyes flicking up to meet Shinji's. Holding up his hands in mock surrender, the captain recoiled from his white-haired companion.

 **"I didn't mean I disliked your place, I just meant,"** He seemed to be thinking of the right word, so as to not offend her. Apparently he scrapped his first idea and decided instead to start fresh. **"You and I shall meet somewhere more... fitting for us."  
**

At the time, she hadn't realized what he meant by 'us,' but she put another tally mark in her head for the way he used the word, her rare smile coming to her face.

The next day she had come into her lab and noticed a little yellow sticky note annoyingly plastered right in the center of her computer monitor. The anger rose in her body quickly, taking it over within the time it took her to reach the computer, where she snatched the note and immediately crumpled it up to throw it away.

She seethed under her breath, cursing whoever decided they could come into her personal laboratory and disrespect her belongings in such an atrocious way. Pulling her desk chair out gruffly, she sat with the tiniest of huffs, and woke her computer up to start her work for the day. Slate hues looked around the lab while she waited, eventually landing back on the note that she had thrown in her trashcan. Chessebelle arched a brow as she noticed the familiar handwriting on the bright yellow paper, leaning down and grabbing the crumpled ball.

Unfolding it and flattening it out on the desk, she scanned the note quickly. She blinked, sitting back in her chair and blankly staring at the monitor as it finally started up, ready to be put to work. And then, she was gone, her chair spinning from its sudden abandonment of Chessebelle's lithe body, and a bright yellow sticky note screaming on her desk.

 _'We'll meet at the sixth division barracks tonight, under the light of the moon, Chessebelle. And don't even think about bringing that sour attitude with you!'_

* * *

Chessebelle felt tears welling in her eyes as she thought about that night meeting up with him, their first real romantic interest in each other had shown that night. He had shown her a side of him that she hadn't imagined she would ever see-he was not just a foolish man who gave her compliments to get something she had. He had shown his self, his true and vulnerable soul had been shared with her on that night just as she had reciprocated. He could be stoic and serious, he could be funny and cheesy, and he could be truly romantic and charming-all towards her that night. Her chin quivered, trying to hold back the sob that was choking her, wondering if he knew she was thinking about him-that she thought about him every day.

She jumped as she heard the scuff of a sandal on the roof, someone joining her in her new temple. **"Shinji?"** The name felt strange leaving her lips, having not spoken it in so many years, as if it was a stranger to her now. A half second after she said the name, that lump in her throat felt three times as big as before, and her tears felt too heavy to hold back any longer.

 **"Hey, what are you doing here in the middle of the night?"** The woman stood up hastily, bowing before Renji Abarai and wiping away the tears that had stained her porcelain skin.

 **"Lieutenant Abarai, excuse me. I was admiring the captain's pond..."** She sniffled softly before standing up straight and looking at the lieutenant with eyes that asked for help, asking for understanding from this red-head that didn't even know her name. He looked at her with a stern expression, softening for a moment when he saw those dark circles she perpetually had under her eyes and the redness of her nose from the crying.

 **"Get out of here, lady, it's after dark now. Captain Kuchiki doesn't like visitors to his barracks after hours."**

Chessebelle had given a nod and left without another word. Her temple, abandoned once more, without a deity to light the way.


	7. 91 Humans

Watching the humans from her perch on a telephone wire, Chessebelle felt bemused.

A car accident had occurred at a nearby intersection and traffic had slowed to a snail's pace, people oggling what had happened from the safety of their vehicles. At any moment, they could become what they were currently obsessing over on their way home from their day job. Their loved ones could have been the one's getting the call informing them that they had been in a tragic accident.

But these thoughts weren't what were going through their heads; instead, they were thinking selfish thoughts that they wouldn't give a second chance to in other circumstances. She squinted, attempting to get a better look at some of the people driving slowly past the T-bone accident. One may be thinking how late they're going to get home because of this inconvenient crash, another may be wondering if they'll see how injured the people are, while yet another may be grumbling about why everyone is going so slow when the game is starting in five minutes.

They were beginning to disgust her as she realized everyone was all the same-they were all sticking their noses in business that wasn't theirs, grasping for information that they were going to use for personal gain; as if their next conversation topic was dependent upon knowing who caused what.

 **"Hey, twelvie, let's go. We're meeting up with Kurosaki at the high school."** Chessebelle's head snapped around, her haunted eyes regarding Ikkaku with slight disdain for his current nickname for herself. He gave her a grin, his sword sheathed and sitting across his shoulders. The woman restrained her eye roll towards the eleventh division member as she noticed how inviting his own eyes were, her icy exterior softening from his welcoming expression.

 **"Humans are strange."** She commented as she began to shunpo towards the high school in question, a blur of white hair to Ikkaku now.

 **"So are shinigami."** He answered with a shrug before following her lead.


	8. 22 Sunrise

Neither of them were partial to sunrises, but here they both were watching the start of a brand new day. Today wouldn't be their last, no, but today was going to be Shinji Hirako's last day as a captain of the Gotei 13.

Neither of them had known that today was going to turn out like this, nor did either of them know that this would be the last time they held each other for the next century.

They were both blissfully ignorant of the downward spiral they would be facing by nightfall. Instead of cherishing these moments together, they were laying in one another's arms bickering over insignificant matters in Captain Hirako's personal room.

Soft jazz was drifting through their room and into the fresh air of the fifth division grounds, radiating a calm atmosphere throughout.

Chessebelle had never even thought about what she would have done without Shinji. Sometimes it was all Shinji could do to not think about what Chessebelle would do without him, and what he would do without her.


	9. 26 Spirits

**"Either you move on and live in the Soul Society or you sit here and fester on your meaningless unfinished business and turn into a hollow,"** Chessebelle stared with cold blue eyes towards the crying spirit before her, blubbering about how her husband and children can't survive without her. **"Needless to say, if you turn into a hollow, you will be exterminated accordingly."** The woman's sobs were quieted for a moment, raising her puffy face from her hands and looking at Chessebelle with such helplessness that it made the shinigami's stomach turn.

 **"You can't possibly understand what's happening! My family needs me! I can't just leave them to fend for themselves! I have to watch over little Jusuke, he never even learned to tie his shoes. And Kohana always asked me how I braided my hair but I never had the time to show her my technique. My dear Tamao would always bring me something from his walk home from work, whether it was a flower on the side of the road or a magazine he thought I might like... I can't just leave them!"**

The twelfth division member knew a lost cause when she saw one, and after the spirit's first sentence she had begun walking away. The spirit was hysterically screaming at the woman's back, desperately wanting her to give her some words of comfort or at least some instruction on what to do next.

She had died in the hospital from complications after a routine surgery. Her family hadn't been at her bedside when it happened, all of them at school or work because of the trust they had put into her doctors. She was heartbroken, lost, confused, and most of all lonely.

Chessebelle never understood the purpose of konso duty-she would much rather do almost anything else. It was a fruitless task that gave her no sense of reward, no sense of purpose. In fact, performing konso for these ungrateful souls was her least favorite task she's ever had to do. She'd rather the souls rot and turn into hollows. At least hollows were supposed to be stupid and only driven by the need to feed, they were easy to understand and easy to dispose of. She made it a rule for herself to not force a soul into konso; why waste her time as well as an unwilling spirit's.

Even while she walked away, she could feel the woman's eyes on her as she blubbered outside of her family's home. Chessebelle chanced a glance over her shoulder at her, puffy eyes still willing her to come back and explain the soul's options once more-almost as if she was rethinking what Chessebelle had told her.

The white-haired shinigami made her departure, leaving the spirit to its own undoing.


	10. 29 Baldy

**"Later, Baldy! Have fun with Mrs. Evil Scientist!"**

Chessebelle and Ikkaku both stopped in their tracks-Ikkaku out of frustration, Chessebelle out of anticipation for Ikkaku's outburst.

 **"My name is not Baldy, Yachiru!"** The man turned on his heel to shout at the little pink-haired devil, who had already vanished with a cloud of giggles in her place.

Chessebelle looked at her companion, hands in the sleeves of her shihakusho, with an arched brow. Ikkaku noticed the look she was giving him from the corner of his eye, a huff escaping his lips as he started off in the direction they had been heading before the interruption.

 **"I don't mean to pry, Ikkaku, but..."**

 **"No, I'm not bald, I shave my head and you know that. We've been over this, Chiyoko. Besides, aren't you offended about the evil scientist thing?"** The woman gave an indifferent shrug.

 **"I don't correct people who aren't wrong. But... Are you sure? I swear I've never seen any indicator of hair ever on your head."**

And the bickering continued as they made their way to the Senkaimon to travel to the world of the living; Ikkaku boisterous and hot-headed while Chessebelle was serious and collected.


	11. 7 Candy Shop

Chessebelle looked at all the bright-colored sweets around the shop, her fingers drifting across glass displays of frosted confections. Her eyes were still tired and sad, but they held something else within them as they took in the intricate designs carved into the cakes; perhaps it was a sense of child-like wonder sparked to life by the desserts.

A worker passed by with a beaming smile, asking if she had needed any help with finding something to satisfy her sweet tooth. The woman shook her head quickly, eyes moving to the floor in order to get out of the awkward conversation the human might start with her. As she had hoped, the worker left without pressing the issue, simply letting her know she could ask her for help whenever she needed.

Chessebelle returned to looking at the sweets, enjoying their vibrant appearance. She glanced out the shop window, wondering if Shinji would enjoy this place.

 _'If Shinji would have enjoyed this place,'_ She corrected herself, used to fixing her thoughts to past-tense at this point in her life. It had been more than a century now.

She left the shop without buying anything, leaving behind another broken piece of herself.


	12. 66 Ritual

**"I've been promoted again. I think I'm going to be stuck as fourth seat for some time, though. I don't see Nemu or Akon going anywhere... I suppose there are worse places to be stuck."**

Chessebelle glanced at the headstone, a sudden shiver making her body shudder. She turned away, instead looking at the strange cardboard that she held in her hands. It was flat and square, a vinyl record stored inside safely. The box art was a watercolor painting, a lake on a cloudy night. A full moon shown down on the lake, looking at its own reflection. 'Debussy: Clair de Lune and other piano favorites,' written on the cover in a beautiful flowing handwriting.

 **"I brought this from the human world. I don't know if you'll like it, you were strange in your tastes. I used your strange contraption to play for myself though-I liked it a lot. It reminded me of you,"** Chessebelle paused, casting a cold glare over her shoulder at the sound of someone approaching. Her eyes softened at the sight of Captain Kyoraku of the eighth division.

He was on his way to his former lieutenant's headstone. He hadn't picked anyone to take her place just yet, but rumors were circulating that Nanao Ise was being groomed for the position. The captain gave her a kind smile as he passed by, tipping his strange hat. Chessebelle gave a curt nod in response, deciding that she would take her leave out of respect for Shunsui's privacy. She tried to remember what she had been saying, realizing that she was wrong in her words.

 **"I should correct myself. It reminded me of us, Shinji."** She bent down and added the vinyl record to the offerings on his tomb. Some people had offered up records like herself, while others had left heartfelt letters. Chessebelle couldn't help but notice that the only new contributions were all from her.

She left the graveyard, looking down at her feet and picking at the skin on her cuticles, as she always did when she left Shinji's grave. She didn't cry anymore, but she felt like she should every Sunday that she visited.


	13. 79 Betrayed

Over a century of feelings came crashing upon Chessebelle's frail shoulders, her body the most fragile it had ever been and ever would be. Years upon years of emotions shook her to her core, taking hold of the small woman and sinking its talons into her. Anger, frustration, hurt, confusion, resentment, heartbroken.

Anger that he would go on that mission and leave her by herself. Frustration that he didn't listen to her that night, taking her cautions as jokes. Hurt that he was gone and she hadn't even said goodbye. Confusion that everyone held a funeral and then moved on with their lives like nothing happened. Resentment towards everyone in the Seireitei for letting these captains and lieutenants die.

Most all, she was heartbroken that the love of her life had slipped through her fingers. A ribbon that was held out before her and dropped, too clumsy to catch it before it fell into the abyss.

Her knees felt weak but she held strong as she looked at the blonde standing across from her. His hair was shorter now, while her's had continued growing. His eyes stared at her with so much pity that she was disgusted with herself. Those foreign eyes that held so much familiarity within them, her lover's warm brown eyes that she had forgotten because it had been so long.

 **"You died."**

She spoke the words aloud, as if saying them would convince her that she was seeing things, that they would speak it into existence. Her reality was crumbling around her-all those years that she had wished to spend with him and all those years that she was on her own were suddenly meaningless. He was standing before her with a stupid look on his face that taunted her, a face that said he was sorry that she thought he was dead, a face that spoke lies to the world she lived in for so long.

The tension between the two souls only grew as they examined each other from afar; he had gained human clothes while she remained in her dull black shihakusho.

 **"You're just standing there like you didn't fucking die! You're looking at me like I'm a bird that's about to die on the side of the road! Stop looking at me like that! You're the one who was fucking dead!"** Her voice sliced through the air, the blonde wincing at her words as if they were knives being thrown at him. The woman was before him now, inches from his face.

She smelled him, the woody smell that she used to get drunk off of in his bed. He smelled her, the familiar lavender that would follow in her wake after she left a room. They stared into each other's eyes, her dull ones meeting his brilliant ones. There was a fire radiating from their bodies, their connection rekindled after years upon years.

 **"Shinji Hirako... How could you?"**

Her voice was breaking, whimpering with emotion as she balled her hands up into fists at her side. The woman reached up and pressed her fists into his chest, gingerly at first as if to see if he actually was physically in front of her and then putting more effort behind them. She began to push him, Shinji letting her do so, stepping back with each shove.

 **"You left me! You fucking died and left me by myself, just like Sojun had! You were gone! I was all by myself and lost in a scary world that I still didn't understand, Shinji... You were the only thing that I thought was going to be a constant for me..."** Chessebelle's voice began to trail off, her tears beginning to take over and making it hard to breathe between each word.

 **"Chessebelle, I'm sorry,"** The first words that Shinji spoke to her in over a century. Her breathing accelerated at the sound of his voice, looking up at him with wide eyes. It was as if she was a fish out of water, gasping for air and having a hyperventilation attack in his arms. Looking down at her, there was nothing else Shinji could bring himself to say in that moment. Instead, he pressed his lips to her.

The kiss felt like it lasted for years, instead of the measly moments that it actually was. Every nerve had been set ablaze under his touch, her fists now gripping his shirt as if her life depended on it, as if she would fall to the ground and wake up from this dream. She pulled him closer, Shinji wrapping his arms around the smaller woman and cradling her head. His fingers weaved into her messy hair, the way she used to do with his own before they fell asleep most nights.

She was invincible, untouchable in this reality, but at the same time she felt weak, fragile, broken already.


	14. 62 Coffee

Chessebelle made a pursed lip smile-forced, but in an effort to show good intentions-as Akon walked up to the table. It was a nice little shaded table that had been placed in the tweflth division courtyard, the umbrellas purple with the twelfth division insignia emblazoned on the top. She enjoyed the third seat's company, even if they rarely talked about anything interesting, let alone anything at all. He seemed like a nice enough man, just not someone that talked a lot. He did like to smoke sometimes at the table, and while that did bother her, she never told him otherwise.

Akon brought his usual cup of coffee to the table, the drink scalding hot and steaming even as he went to take a drink. He never blew on his drink before taking the first taste-it was like he was immune to the heat of the black coffee.

Chessebelle found it strange that he seemingly enjoyed the burn of the drink, considering the SDRI kept their laboratories almost unbearably cold.

This was always how Akon had started his days-sitting at the courtyard tables, having a cigarette, and drinking his cup of coffee. Eventually, this new twelfth division member had taken a liking to the silence in the morning and suddenly started showing up. She had been at his table one morning and he was too stubborn to find another spot to have his breakfast. He kind of liked the company of the lower-ranked, despite how quiet she usually was.

Chessebelle would often leave first, giving that same strange forced smile and a quick bow before leaving.


	15. 63 Tea

Akon gave Chessebelle a nod in acknowledgement as she took a seat across from him in the courtyard of the twelfth division. They never really talked, even after her promotion to fourth seat they had exchanged simple congratulations and nothing more. However, they did always seem to find each other in the courtyard at the beginning of their days. They would usually sit in silence and have breakfast, but sometimes they did exchange a few words. She appreciated his direct conversations, and he appreciated her willingness to listen to the normally boring topics he had in mind.

The woman held her cup of tea in front of her with one hand, her other taking the bowl of sugar she had began leaving on the two's breakfast table. She added four large scoops of sugar to the cup, swirling it around before bringing it to her lips. She blew on the cup, the steam wafting to the morning air, before taking her first sip.

Akon found it strange that she liked so much sugar in her tea, considering he never saw her eat anything else sweet.

This was usually how her day started, especially now that Shinji was gone-joining a fellow twelfth division member for an inadequate 'breakfast.' Eventually one of them would leave and share a quick goodbye, leaving the other at the table until they finally went about their own business for the day.

Akon would usually leave first now, Chessebelle often sitting with a haunted look in her eyes after he left. Now it was him who gave the strained smile to the woman as he left.


	16. 35 Rukongai

**"Chess, look! Look, I'm gonna be like you one day!"** The rambunctious blonde seemed to talk a mile a minute, Chessebelle looking down at her with a suspicious expression, one thick white eyebrow raised. As if reading her sister's question from her face, the girl waved a piece of paper wildly in her face. The older shinigami sighed inwardly as she attempted to read the flailing letter. She managed to get the jist of it from the few words she could read- _'Shin'o academy,' 'warmly welcome,' 'acceptance.'_

To the blonde's surprise, Chessebelle said nothing and instead made her way to the living room window, looking out it with cloudy blue eyes. It was a shabby house that Chessebelle had always figured would blow down one day, yet here it still stood.

 **"That's very exciting, Gigi. I'm very proud of you."**

Again, Gigi was surprised by her older sister's actions. The blonde scrambled over to her, taking her sister's cold hand into her own warm one. "Chess?" She looked at her sister with brilliant gemstone green eyes.

Chessebelle looked down at her little sister wit ha sad smile. It felt strange to be smiling when all she could think of was her baby sister going off and risking her life for no good reason. Chessebelle was supposed to be the soldier of the family, not little Getsu. The white haired shinigami hugged her little sister-they were almost the same size despite their age gap. Gigi's concern washed away with the embrace, Chessebelle seemingly absorbing it for herself.

 **"Dinner is ready!"**

The sisters broke apart as they heard their mother's shrill voice calling them to the dining room. Chessebelle had explained four times that she couldn't stay but her family had still set her place with a plate of food. Gigi ran to the table and started eating immediately, her father chuckling as he waved his other daughter down to eat as well. Again, Chessebelle refused the invitation and headed towards the kitchen to say goodbye to her mother before taking her leave.

 **"I tried talking her out of it, you know that,"** her mother stood at their dusty kitchen window, holding a rag to her chin like a security blanket. **"You must know that I didn't want her going, just like I didn't want you going. You had failed that test and I thought-"**

 **"Please don't remind me."** The shinigami cut her mother off, joining her at the window and looking to the dirty rukongai outside.

 **"Well you should've stopped taking it after you had failed three ti-"**

 **"Mother, please."** Chessebelle snapped this time, regarding her mother with disdain. The older woman looked at her daughter with sad blue eyes-the ones that Chessebelle seemed to have inherit. **"I'll start looking for another house in the upper districts. I'm trying to keep you guys out of the bad areas, but I'm not even a seated officer. I don't need help from Gigi to make your lives better. You can't let her go-please don't let her attend."** The white-haired woman, normally cold and calculated in her words and actions, couldn't believe the sound of her voice; she sounded like she was pleading with her own mother. **"I've got to get going."**

Kyotori watched her daughter leave the rukongai from her perch at the window, her baby bird now grown, while her other baby bird was trying to fly before she even knew how to flap her wings. She was just as afraid as Chessebelle that Gigi would plummet to the ground, leading to her own demise. And then she started crying.


	17. 40 Experiment

Chessebelle stared at her newest prize on her laboratory table with a detached sort of interest, as if it was just the most exciting thing that was around at the moment.

The soul of a large dog laid on its side on the steel-finding stray animal souls wasn't very hard in the rukongai but bringing one into the Seireitei unnoticed was. She had managed to subdue the animal and sneak it in the south entrance, the entrance closest to the SDRI building thankfully, with a little bribery to the guard on duty. The soul was still unconscious, but she knew it would begin waking as she brought a syringe from under the lab table and began looking for the perfect spot to stick her subject.

Without an ounce of tenderness, the scientist tuck the furry soul in the shoulder and pressed the plunger down. Before she could even retrieve her needle, the animal was on its feet with wild eyes and howling in pain. Despite its sudden movement, the dog kept its head to the table and attempted to rub against it, as if something had wormed its way into its ear and was attempting to get it out. Chessebelle took a step back and glanced quickly at the clock, making a mental note of the time. **"Only seconds into the serum..."** The woman thought aloud, the animal's cried growing in volume and becoming even more desperate for relief to its pain. It pulled its head up now, throwing it this way and that before landing on his captor. The dog lunged at Chessebelle, a yipe echoing in the laboratory as a blue barrier rippled around the steel table.

While Chessebelle never really liked using kido, she preferred restraining subjects with kido rather than barbaric ropes or metal bracelets-this allowed her subject to move around while still not putting herself in danger. Although, Chessebelle never really thought she was in any danger with the subjects she picked-caution was always needed though, especially with her newest endeavor.

The shinigami didn't flinch as the canine continued to bash itself against the barrier with a viciousness only a wild animal could muster when it was backed into a corner and forced to react. It was foaming at the mouth now and black was swallowing the white of its eyes, the hair on the back of its neck standing on end and his mouth scrunched into a perpetual snarl. Its cries had turned into malicious growls now, the whimpers and whines now matured into barks. Upon closer inspection, Chessebelle noticed that the foam at its muzzle was actually a thick white goo-it looked as if it was being produced from within the dog's body and overflowing out through its mouth. Without warning, the goo enclosed the dog's face within.

 **"Yes! Don't die now, it's only just begun! You stupid beast, calm yourself and don't let it take control! You'll only make it worse if you keep getting angry!"** The woman was suddenly crazed-the polar opposite of what most see of her-pressing her fingers to the barrier to examine her experiment closer. She was alive with emotions, a cold sweat starting to procure on the back of her neck, her nerves burning as she brought herself closer and closer to the blue enclosure around the tortured soul. The dog managed one long, low, pitiful howl before the mask completely took hold of its face. The dog went silent now and fell back to the table, whimpers that seemed to echo within the mask its last words.

Chessebelle's face fell as the soul stopped moving, her hands slipping from the barrier slowly but surely. She quickly looked at the clock before returning to staring at yet another failed experiment. A quick and shrill shriek of frustration sliced the air. She pulled herself from the barrier and threw some unfortunate beakers that had been sitting nearby. The musical chime of the glass falling to the floor laughing at Chessebelle, mocking her misfortune again and again. The woman growled under her breath as she moved to her computer and began smashing buttons on the keyboard.

 _Experiment 27, canis familiaris soul of average weight and build. Died within five minutes. Formula HOSN-14A._ _Still_ _too strong for lowly souls. Lower the amount of HS by another 50%. Move on to experiment 28-possibly even a humanoid-after HOSN-14B is brewed (let sit for 48 hours before use). Hollowfication must be understood before moving on to reversing the process. Must start looking for souls with more spiritual pressure._ _Worthwhile to try using a hollow test subject and injecting the opposite of the serum to assess the differences in reactions._

 **"God fucking dammit."** Her sharp voice cut the air, the smell of death suffocating the scientist in her own laboratory.


	18. 23 Sunset

Chessebelle felt a surge of dislike wash over herself, casting a glance over at Ikkaku as they walked together.

They had come to the world of the living together for a hollow extermination mission-or rather, Chessebelle had received the orders and Ikkaku invited himself to go along with her-but the hollow was a no-show all of a sudden. Whether he was wiped out by a shinigami already in the world of the living or something else had happened wasn't clear. Chessebelle insisted they should investigate and after the last known spot of the hollow turned up nothing, Ikkaku told her to forget about it.

His attention had been drawn to a nearby festival that was apparently happening, people dressed up in kimonos and costumes with music and laughter all around. The lovely light from golden hour was casting a warm glow around the stalls and people. **"Why don't we check this out instead? Seems like a party with some sake, eh?"**

Chessebelle had given him a side-eye but Ikkaku was already moving towards the crowd, the woman exhaling a long breath through her nose. This was Ikkaku's way of getting them to go out, it would appear.

While she would never say Ikkaku had been chasing her, as she would sometimes seek him out instead, but she had gotten that same feeling she had gotten from Shinji before they started seeing each other.

Looking at him now, Chessebelle's dislike for herself only grew.

He was a loyal and honest man, a man that loved battle more than anything, a man that would lay his life on the line for the sport of it and for his captain without a second thought. He was different than Shinji, and yet here she was, finding herself attracted to him without even thinking of her own poor partner. He was rotting in a grave in the Seireitei, and here she was being swept away with another man on a mission-disguised-as-a-date.

 **"You alright, Chiyoko? I know you're upset about the hollow thing, but I only asked Akon to send you those orders because I knew you wouldn't say yes otherwise. It's not like you're running around looking for someone... to spend time with all the time, you know?"**

His voice sounded far off at first, coming into focus slowly but surely. She turned her head to face Ikkaku this time, looking at him with a genuine curiosity in her eyes. Why would he want to spend his time with her anyways?

The sun was setting and in the last slivers of sunlight, Ikkaku's brown eyes looked more beautiful than she had realized. Ikkaku's eyes seemed to betray his normal behavior, a kindness within them that was intoxicating to look into. She couldn't keep the eye contact for long, thinking of Shinji's own eyes after a moment.

 **"Yea. I know."** It was all she could bring herself to say, flinching when Ikkaku reached for her hand. She didn't see the wounded look he wore once he enclosed his rough hand around her delicate one, too busy trying not to pull herself away from him and run back to the Soul Society. All she wanted was to be alone in her lab, away from this lovely man trying to give her a second chance. She wanted to be alone with her self-loathing, try to make sense of this world once more.

The sun set and the two spirits wandered the festival in silence.


	19. 20 Uniforms

Chessebelle, like most students at the Shin'o Academy, always idolized the uniforms of the Gotei 13. While she hadn't made it known to the public, she was obsessed with the idea of wearing the sleek black uniform, an air of sophistication always following in her wake when she wore it.

Now that she was standing in her barracks and staring at the issued uniform laid out on her bed, she gave a long sigh.

It wasn't nearly as comfortable as she had anticipated, nor had it been nearly as honorable wearing it as she had first thought.

She began to think of alterations to make on it for later, beginning to put her shihakusho on and start her day.


	20. 93 Holidays

Staring at the garland around the tenth division's barracks entrance, Chessebelle felt an overwhelming anger. The way the paper snowflakes glittered in the sunlight, softly blown about by the wind, they were taunting her.

They were laughing at her. She could hear their high-pitched giggles, looking down with gleeful little faces. She always hated the holidays, moreso now that her own companion was no longer with them. He always enjoyed teasing her, calling her a grinch.

The shinigami reached her zanpakuto up, snatching the garland down to the ground and taking her leave back to the twelfth division barracks. She couldn't bring herself to care when a tenth division member came out to yell profanities at her. Not even the urge to toss a retort over her shoulder flatly came over her.

Apparently it had taken them hours to cut out the snowflakes perfectly.


	21. 59 Zero Division

Chessebelle didn't know much about the Zero Division. Obviously, like any shinigami in the Gotei 13, she knew their purpose and their duties but not much else. Most people of her generation in the Gotei didn't know or even hear of the Zero Division's members until Kirio Hikifune was promoted. The only reason Chessebelle knew this was because of her placement into Squad Twelve shortly after Hikifune's promotion to the Zero Division.

However, after snooping about the twelfth division's records, she found another name of a Zero Division member: Senjumaru Shutara. It wasn't exactly up to code for her to be rifling through the records, but once she found the name she couldn't stop her investigation. She kept looking for instances of the woman in the history of the twelfth division, eating up every bit of information she could get her hands on.

Apparently she was an important contributor to the twelfth division during her days, even creating a scale used within the division for years to come named after her. Chessebelle became obsessed with the image of her, always finding herself wanting of more information she hadn't yet stumbled upon about the mysterious Zero Division member.

While she wouldn't admit to becoming infatuated with the powerful woman, it was obvious that whenever someone asked for use of the Shutara scale she would perk. She seemed to be expecting information on the woman when her sacred name was ever uttered aloud.

She longed to become someone like Senjumaru Shutara.


	22. 12 Sake

Chessebelle gulped her cup of sake, taking all of the liquid down her throat at once. She put the empty cup back on the sterile lab table, frowning down at her bleary reflection.

Was that the steel of the table or her tears hindering her from seeing correctly?

Perhaps it was the sake, she thought blandly as she took the bottle of alcohol and filled up the cup once more.

A glance to the floor indicated this was her third bottle tonight.

Thunder clapped outside the walls of the laboratory.


	23. 74 Confidence

**"Why am I being sent to do paperwork for another division? This must be a typo on my orders for today, Captain."** She said it as a statement the second time, not a question, as she went to take her usual spot at her desk.

 **"Not a mistake. I don't make mistakes, you ignorant girl. Head to the eleventh division and help the neanderthals with their paperwork. If you're good at one thing it's mindless tasks like signing and organizing pieces of paper."** Mayuri didn't look at his lieutenant as he made his way out of the office, brushing past her stiffly. He faltered in his steps for half of a second as he added, **"You may not even be needed as a lieutenant here pretty soon. Third seat seems to suit you better, Chiyoko."**

Chessebelle didn't flinch as the words were spit at her, her gaze slowly drifting down until she was staring at the floor in front of her. This new captain was already beginning to make changes around the division and getting under people's skin, and Chessebelle was no exception.

However, her loyalty to the order of Gotei 13 kept her tongue tied, and instead she turned around and left the twelfth division in order to follow her new orders for the day. A twelfth division female entering the aggressive male-dominated eleventh division was not the most enticing mission.

She did, however, take solace in the fact that she could walk in with her head held high-she would most certainly be the most intelligent soul working in the eleventh division's premises.


	24. 86 Manga

**"Is this porn?"**

Shinji made the most embarrassing noise he's ever made, quickly scrambling across the room to the twelfth division member, holding the book in front of her with two fingers as if it was infected.

 **"It's not porn! It's manga that Lisa lent me!"**

Chessebelle held him at bay with her foot, pressing into his chest as he attempted to get around her and take the comic back. She turned her head this way and that to examine the rather busty girl in the panel, wondering why she didn't buy a larger shirt if the buttons would barely clasp around her chest. The Captain's gangly limbs won out this time, able to snatch the manga from her and bring it to his chest protectively.

 **"I was hoping you'd say it** ** _was_** **porn."** Her flat voice echoed in the room as she continued to clean up around his Captain's quarters, the meaning of her words taking Shinji a few extra seconds to process.

 **"Wait, it is porn!"**


	25. 96 Water

She couldn't hear anything. She couldn't see anything. All she could feel was how cold she was, and how heavy her body felt.

It was a struggle to even lift a hand, as if she was being pulled down by an unforeseen force.

But then, something had grabbed a hold of her body. She was being dragged upward, her neck snapping with the gravity.

She was able to open her eyes now, hearing a muffled gasp for air as they broke the surface. Had she been drowning? Blinking, she tried to get adjusted to the bright light of the moon reflecting from the water's surface.

 **"Are you an idiot? Didn't anyone teach you how to swim?"**

Chessebelle looked up at the male as he shouted at her, holding her like a sopping bride he fished from the ocean. His bald head wasn't helping her eyes adjust, just as reflective as the water.

She opened her mouth to say something.

Instead, she vomited sea water all over the both of them.


	26. 98 High School

**"So... you're going undercover in the real world as a... high schooler?"**

Ikkaku could tell she was skeptical about that idea, giving her an annoyed glare. **"What are you trying to imply? I'm too old to be a high schooler?"**

 **"Well... yes. But, why can't you just go as yourself?"**

Ikkaku tried to keep his voice level, closing his eyes in order to calm himself from her unintentional insult. **"I don't know, Chiyoko. We're going as high school kids to keep an eye on the substitute reaper, that's all I got for you. The Kurosaki kid, we've been over this a million times now."** He rested his chin in his hand, opening one eye to look at the twelfth division member. **"Remember?"**

Chessebelle looked at Ikkaku with a blank face, the circles under her eyes making them look more sunk in. **"I suppose... Can I come?"**

Ikkaku was surprised by her question, squinting at her curiously. She never seemed to take much interest in following him along on missions, but he thought of what she might look like in the school uniform. A ghost of a smile crept over his face.

 **"Sure. I'd get a letter of accomodation from Captain Kurotsuchi to sign and give to Hitsugaya, first."**

 **"Ikkaku, you're turning all red, are you feeling well?"**


	27. 92 Gift

It was strange to see the white gift box on her bed, a little tag dangling off of a ribbon secured around it. She moved to it cautiously, eyeing the tag suspiciously.

 _'Because I thought you might like it!'_

She recognized the handwriting as Captain Hirako, who had seemingly been taking more of an interest in bothering her lately with his shenanigans. She couldn't deny that she liked the male attention, but she certainly _could_ deny that she enjoyed _his_ attention specifically. Chessebelle gave a huff, as if annoyed by the gift now that she realized it was from the blonde, and began to unwrap her 'just because' present grudgingly.

Inside was a small figurine of a lucky cat, its little paw in the air and a closed eye smile. It was a white cat with a purple collar, a small bell attached. The woman squinted at the strange figurine, not quite understanding why this man thought she would like it. Without another thought she threw the box in the corner of her room and placed the feline on her windowsill, its paw beginning to rock back and forth as if pawing at the air.

Chessebelle forced a smile on her face as Ikkaku presented her with a small gift box, smiling excitedly. She wasn't exactly sure why he was giving her this present, and apparently that showed on her face.

 **"I thought about you on the way home, I think you'll like it... Open it!"**

Her smile faltered, a wave of deja vu assaulting her memory. The fourth seat took the small box from the other fourth seat, her hands shaking the slightest bit. Ikkaku watched her carefully, his eagerness apparent on his face as he switched between looking at her face and the box she was now opening.

Inside was a familiar face, the closed eye smile of a black lucky cat. It had its paw in the air and a red collar around its neck.

Ikkaku couldn't hold back his pride any longer. **"I saw the one you have in your room and on my way back from Karakura I saw this in a shop window! There were a lot of different kinds but I thought you might like this one next to the little white one you have, like opposites!"**

His voice seemed far away, distant, as he boasted about how observant he was. She tried not to let it show how upset she was by the present, looking at Ikkaku and forcing herself to nod along to his words. She could even hear herself saying thank you, his arms suddenly wrapped around her in a hug.

She felt herself trembling, gingerly placing her arms around his broad chest to return the embrace.


	28. 88 Party

She was drunk, there was no doubt about that. As the lights flashed around the club, her thoughts swam through her head, bouncing around but never really sticking enough for her to pay them any mind. It was getting hard to keep her eyes open as she let her body move of its own accord to the blaring music, weaving between the warm bodies dancing around her. Chessebelle felt someone moving themselves behind her, their hands placed on her hips and guiding her into their body to dance together. Too intoxicated to fight it, she threw a glance over her shoulder and looked up at her new dance partner curiously.

Ikkaku looked down at her with a charming smile, bringing a hand to her chin as he turned her aorund to face him now. It felt as if everything was going in slow motion, Chessebelle returning his smile with a goofy smile of her own, the alcohol exacerbating her behavior. She could barely hear his laugh, his eyes closed as he leaned his head back towards the ceiling, the shinigami chuckling along with him.

They were at party in the world of the living, some random bar rumbling from the music it was playing. The whole of Soul Society was beginning to prepare assistance for the reapers in Hueco Mundo; her own Captain to join in the expedition along with Ikkaku's Captain, even Byakuya Kuchiki rumored to be going to the land that Sosuke Aizen was hiding out in.

And yet, here they were, in this neon-lit bar dancing against each other, warm and giggly with liquor coursing through their systems.

 _'Perhaps we could have a normal relationship.'_

The thought slipped out of her grasp before she could take the time to entertain it, instead using all of her mental capacity to match her hip movements with the music that was filling her ears, focusing on Ikkaku's hands on her body.


	29. 65 Music

Music never really occurred to Chessebelle as something that could be enjoyable for people.

Shinji always seemed to be listening to music while he worked, if you could even call what he did work.

Ikkaku had gotten these things called headphones from the world of the living and would listen to music while he was sparring sometimes.

It wasn't until Shinji had been murdered that she decided to take the record player that used to be perched in his office. The acting lieutenant of the fifth division actually brought it to her, quickly clarifying that they only figured she would want it because otherwise it would become trash. Without thinking, she had said no and later had to dig the record player out of the garbage.

Chessebelle didn't find much from Shinji's collection that she liked and Ikkaku didn't know where to start in finding a record that she might like, wondering why she wouldn't let him get her a 'iPod' as they call it.

Eventually, she found some classical records that she would put on while she bathed, submerging herself in the scalding water in her bathroom and letting herself focus on the sounds of piano.

Sometimes she thought about never getting out, suspending herself in the moment of peace forever. But of course, there was much to do before she could ever truly rest.


	30. 25 Ice

**"Be careful, it's icy on the sidewalk here!"**

 **"It's what?"**

A yelp of pain unintentionally slipped from Chessebelle as she fell on her back, completely unaware of the ice that Shinji had just warned her about.

 **"My dear, you really should listen to me more often. I do know what I'm talking about, most of the time."**

She tried not to hiss with displeasure at the grin that Shinji was trying desperately to hold back as he took hold of her hands to help her up. And when they both were unsteady on their feet and fell again, this time the Captain joining her in her tumble, he couldn't hold back his loud laugh.

Chessebelle could feel her cheeks warming, realizing just how lovely it was to hear him laugh so uninhibited by anything else. Her face remained cool and collected, not betraying the fuzzy feeling she was getting in her chest.


	31. 34 Honor

**"You know, I heard he does experiments on his squad members while they're sleeping. Particularly the females..."**

 **"Really?! I mean, there was a reason he was locked up in the Maggot's Nest, right? I can't believe that the Captain Commander actually let him keep his position in the twelfth division, even after Captain Urahara disappeared."**

 **"Captain Kurotsuchi is a sick fuck, I'll tell you that."**

Chessebelle's ears pricked at the sound of the soul reapers talking about her captain, the last voice standing out to her as one of her own comrades. Looking up from her notepad, the shinigami took a glance towards the other souls, talking loudly without a care as to who was listening as they walked past. Without a second thought, she spoke out to them, a touch of irritation accenting her voice.

 **"You do realize that you're talking about your own commanding officer, Minazuki?"**

Hao Minazuki startled, spinning to look at who was speaking, the familiar flat tone of the fourth seat making his face heat. His eyes locked with her own tired ones, a thick eyebrow arched in defiance to his answer before he even spoke.

 **"Chiyoko, I was just talking with the guys an-"**

 **"That you entertain such rumors with these gossips shows a side of your character that I didn't suspect..."** Chessebelle paused as her slate hues flicked towards his companions. They looked like eleventh division members if she had to guess, but who really knew where such ignorant souls were placed in the Gotei. Turning her attention back to Minazuki, she looked him up and down with a detached expression. She returned her eyes to her notepad, scribbling notes.

 **"There is no need to explain your actions to me, Minazuki, truly. If you feel what you said, I can't say I like your opinion, but I respect you for so freely disrespecting your captain like that. I commend you for putting on such a show for him whenever presenting research and looking for the praise you so desperately want-or so it would seem-while encouraging such nasty words from others about him."**

Lolling her head to the side, Chessebelle took in Minazuki's face filling with apparent embarrassment, looking him up and down. Her lip twitched with disgust, shaking her head.

 **"You are scum, beneath any Captain's feet. Do not let yourself think you are anything more than dirt for Captain Kurotsuchi to walk upon."**

The fourth seat took her leave now, Minazuki praying that his friends weren't thinking of numerous insults to throw at him once he rejoined them with burning shame emblazoned on his face.


	32. 4 Happiness

_'What makes you happy?'_

Chessebelle stared at the large billboard, a picture of a family laughing together at some presumable inside joke. They all had bright faces, their eyes crinkled with genuine enjoyment with each other's company, and full smiles.

She felt so stupid looking at the picture with genuine confusion. What made them so happy that they looked like that? A joke couldn't possibly be that funny, could it?

Sure, she found enjoyment in some people's company and doing certain activities, she could admit that to herself at the very least, but she couldn't imagine herself that happy about something.

 **"Pretty cheesy, huh?"**

Jumping at the voice, the shinigami whirled to meet Ikkaku's smile. He jutted his chin towards the billboard she had been staring at, his hands upon his hips.

 **"Yea, I don't know what it is with humans and the happy family but they're everywhere. It's like they don't show any other sort of emotion in their advertisements-you can't be mad or bored or god forbid, sad. I think they call that a nuclear family, you know? I don't understand their sayings, I just try to spread the knowledge."**

She could feel her lips pulling into the smallest smirk, looking towards the ground as she brushed past him.

 **"What? Was it something I said?"**

Yes, she supposed he could be quite funny.

Or maybe he wasn't funny and he just made her smile without realizing.

Either way, she reasoned that level of happiness of the 'happy family' wasn't _that_ unattainable.


	33. 78 Thunderstorm

**"You want a smoke?"**

Chessebelle looked at Akon as they stood outside the barracks, tucked safely under the veranda as rain poured outside. He held his cigarette loosely between his lips as he looked at the fourth seat lazily. He was surprised when she accepted the offer, never having been taken up on his offer before.

Bringing the cigarette to her lips, she looked up at Akon expectantly for a light, the man obliging her request.

 **"You don't look so good."**

Again, she stayed silent, inhaling the horrid taste of the cigarette as the rain pelted the barracks roof. A clap of thunder startled her, flinching as its companion lightning lit up the courtyard. Akon gave her a sideeye, but said nothing more as they stood and watched the ground turn into mud under the barrage of water.

 **"I never look very good during storms."**

He scoffed at her meak voice, less apathetic than usual. She didn't mean it as a joke.

And with that, she took her leave, throwing a trembling hand in the air along with a puff of smoke in departure.


	34. 39 Vice-Captain

**"What do you want?"**

Chessebelle continued to stare at the floor as she bowed before the lieutenant, keeping her position for a couple extra moments to ensure she wouldn't disrespect her superior. Marenoshin was more annoyed by her show of respect than anything, the bow lasting far too long and wasting more of his time than needed.

 **"Excuse me Lieutenant Omaeda, forgive me for the intrusion. I was told to receive my new orders from you for today's objective. Captain Shihoin sent out a bulletin last night about the attacks in the Rukongai and the need for extra scouts,"** The Shinigami raised herself and looked up her superior with doe eyes, too large for her face and too tired for her age.

Marenoshin took a moment's time to look her up and down, the tiny woman laughable—and thus, he did laugh in her face.

 **"Yea, ok, kid. Get on out there and get us the information we need, sure. Make the second division proud,"** He paused, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye as he turned to grab a scroll of parchment from his desk, throwing it at her carelessly. He looked at her with a big grin as she caught the paper fast enough to prevent it from completely unraveling. Again, she bowed and he could feel the irritation return, all the laughter immediately subsiding.

 **"Thank you, Lieutenant. I will report back tonight with my findings,"** And with that, she turned quickly and made her way out of his office, leaving him to laugh behind her back and rest his feet atop the desk like usual. His good mood was ruined by her reaction, not seeming upset at his taunting, and thus he was left with just silence in his office.

Stupid girl.


	35. 38 Captain

**"What is it? I'm busy,"** Her voice was sharp, nails on a chalkboard intensity. It never failed to make Chessebelle wince when she wasn't looking directly at her. Soi Fon was never a fan of her and while she respected her position in the squad, Chessebelle had mutual feelings.

 **"Captain, I do not wish to intrude but…"** Her voice faltered, trailing off into silence after only a few words.

Suddenly, the captain was upon her subordinate, standing before her and glaring fiercely.

 **"Spit it out, you're a soldier, not a student anymore,"** Soi Fon growled, her eyes flicking to the various features on Chessebelle's face. She was weak and it was evident ever since the beginning that she was not cut out for this squad—the previous captain had never put a stop to it but Soi Fon was ready to desert this scout and kick her out of the Gotei 13 completely.

 **"I… I have submitted for a transfer. The first division said they would be sending you the appropriate documents to complete the process. I hope you can respect my decision, Captain Soi Fon. I think this would be best for both myself and the squad as a whole."**

Soi Fon's face never changed, never betraying her surprise that this woman did the dirty work for her. Instead of blind-siding her with a transfer notice, she had requested it for herself. Soi Fon was thankful she didn't have to go through the awkward conversation of trying to explain to one of her members they were basically being kicked out and sent somewhere else because they weren't the right person for this division. Although, it was never something she would shy away from doing—if someone wasn't right for her division, that was all there was to it. It was a business thing and that was that. Still, it was a relief to know at least one of the people on her workload realized they weren't cut out for it and fixed her problem for her.

 **"** **Go to the barracks and collect your stuff. The transfer should be effective immediately, and I will relay the information on your new squad later tonight."**

Chessebelle gave a curt nod and was gone, her flash-step proving to be up to the standards of an Onmitsukido member. Soi Fon felt a surge of rage at the woman who just left.

How dare she show that level of disrespect to her new captain.

She was scum, and she had always been sub-par for Captain Shihoin's squad.

It would be a disgrace to this division to let her stay. The transfer papers would be signed immediately and she would be gone by the morning, Soi Fon would make sure of it.


	36. 60 Kon

**"The project is called Spearhead. It's going to be a turning point in history for all parties involved-the Shinigami Research and Development Institute, the Twelfth Division, the Gotei 13, even humans... Everybody! When injected with the modified soul the bodies gain powers they never could have achieved, alive or not. They can become strong enough to kill a hollow, they can become fast enough to race a train, they can become powerful enough to jump over a skyscraper... The possibilities are endless.**

 **Each of these capsules can bring out a special ability in its host. It truly is a scientific breakthrough. Project Spearhead is going to change everything about our missions to the living world; we won't have to waste resources on sending our own to do hollow sweeps! We don't have to send shinigami, that could be doing important research here, out into the field to die unnecessarily. This is a project that could make everyone's lives so much easier!"**

The conference room was quiet, shifting in their chairs as they listened to what the twelfth division member was pitching. He was nervous at first, stumbling over his introduction but once he got into the thesis of his presentation, he began to find his footing. It was to be put to a vote around the table on whether this project would go forward to the Central 46 for consideration.

Yushima, the scientist in question, had made prototypes of these modified souls to show the seated officers of the twelfth division-to give a better understanding of what exactly his research was about.

Chessebelle picked up the pill with her thumb and index finger, twisting it in her hand to look at it before placing it back onto the table and returning her attention to Yushima with an unreadable expression. He was smiling out at the table now, a polite and forced smile, his hands clasped in front of him as he awaited any questions the board might have for him.

 **"These... These modified souls, yes? They go inside of humans?"** The tenth seat looked curious, bright eyes awaiting his answer.

Yushima nodded quickly in response.

 **"And these modified souls, do they have personality? Is the soul conscious?"** The sixth seat of the twelfth division spoke up next, the woman's voice stern.

Again, Yushima nodded quickly and opened his mouth to clarify, stopping as another seated officer spoke.

 **"But what of their current souls? They're forced out into the world of the living to become a hollow if left for too long?"** Yushima looked confused by this question, flustered by the barrage of inquiries being thrust upon him now.

 **"P-Perhaps you misunderstand..."** He paused for a moment, looking down at the table as he found the right words. **"These modified souls would not be for use with... living humans. We will use cadavers."**

Everyone could feel the energy around the table shift. A tension began to grow in the room, palpable. Chessebelle glanced at the other seated members of the division, all of their eyes searching the table for their opinions on this new information.

The white-haired shinigami placed her hand on the packet of papers that Yushima had passed around to each of the officers to look over for reference, pulling it closer to herself and beginning to flip through some of the pages. Diagrams, graphs, last minute hand-written notes in the margins that had been copied at the last moment.

She came to the last page, a blank line waiting for a signature of approval or not. Her eyes flicked to Yushima for a brief moment as he stood before all of them for judgement on his experiment. A pang of sympathy rang through her bones.

Her hand found the pen and signed in small blocky letters. _Chessebelle Chiyoko, 14th seat._

He was an interesting man. She wanted to see what he could do with these modified souls.


	37. 50 Date

**"So..."**

Rangiku smiled at the other shinigami across the table while they waited for the hostess to return and take their order.

Chessebelle didn't return the lieutenant's friendly attitude, instead opting to stare into her glass of water.

The silence grew longer as Rangiku thought of what to say-Chessebelle creeped her out a bit, if she was honest. But Ikkaku seemed to like her for... a reason that she would never understand. Shuhei asked her to scope out the twelfth division member, _'to get a good idea of what she liked,'_ so that Ikkaku didn't really embarrass himself in front of her.

They had hung out before, from what Shuhei explained, but he didn't need the bald man to screw something up with a woman in the twelfth division. After all, there was no telling what kind of fucked up things she would do to him if he broke her heart or offended her in some way. And more than that, Ikkaku wouldn't shut up about her so if he didn't do well on this date, he'd probably never shut up about how awful it went.

Rangiku couldn't tell what he saw in her, her blue eyes looking the other woman over with a morbid curiosity.

She wasn't the most curvaceous woman, her sex appeal lacking in her physique.

She wasn't talkative, it felt like pulling teeth trying to get a response from her.

And, well, she was rude from the very few exchanges they had in the past.

Still, though, Shuhei had asked her for a favor and with the bribe of unlimited drinks on a night of her choosing, Rangiku was game.

 **"Are you excited for your date?"** The lieutenant tried her best to sound interested in her response, her eyes shining as she took a drink of her sake.

Chessebelle shifted suddenly, slate hues meeting brilliant blue. A thick white brow arched high, unsure of what she just heard.

 **"Date? What are you talking about?"**

This time Rangiku's eyebrows shot up, dumbfounded by her words. She scoffed in disbelief, bringing a hand up and pushing her hair over her shoulders.

 **"What do you mean? Ikkaku asked you out on a date to the Laughing Dragon in Karakura, didn't he?"**

Chessebelle felt the heat rising in her body, refusing to let her face flush at this question. It was a date? She thought they were going for a meeting to discuss the twelfth division working with the eleventh on an upcoming mission. Remembering the way he was avoiding eye contact and acting so sheepish... Chessebelle wanted to crawl under the table. Why did she ever agree to going out with Rangiku in the first place? Again, she realized a little too late that she had been ordered by this lieutenant to join her rather than asked her to join.

 **"I... I was under the assumption that it was a business meeting. I admit, now that you mention it, it seemed a little strange for just us to be going... and meeting at a restaurant in the world of the living,"** The white-haired shinigami tried not to groan as she admitted how stupid she was, cupping the edges of her face with her hands and looking down at the table. How was she supposed to get out of this now?

 **"Oh, no... You didn't know? Shuhei made it seem like Ikkaku made some grand gesture asking you, I didn't think there was any way that it couldn't be a date... Oh, this is too good,"** Rangiku went from caution to amusement in a moment's notice, grinning at Chessebelle as she gulped the rest of her sake down.

 **"I can't believe that you didn't think it was a date! Poor guy probably beat himself up trying to gather the courage to even ask you! Shuhei kept saying how much he went on about you ever since you two had gotten paired up to investigate the Dangai mishap,"** The lieutenant was giddy, laughing obnoxiously as she flagged down the hostess to give her their order and get another round of sake for herself.

Another interesting bit of information came from Rangiku, Chessebelle glancing at her curiously.

 **"He's been talking about me? Since then?"** It had been two months since they had been on that mission, how could he possibly still be talking about it? It was strange though, ever since that mission it seemed the pair continued to bump into each other. Moreover, they had even been matched up on a few missions since then...

Rangiku, again, gave her a look of disbelief. It was annoying how oblivious she was to the eleventh division member's advances.

 **"Wow, I thought the twelfth division only recruited the smartest people..."** Rangiku grumbled the words to herself, shaking her head. Before Chessebelle had the chance to open her mouth in response, the lieutenant held up a manicured hand.

 **"We've got a lot of work to do... Have you ever been on a date before?"**

Chessebelle blinked, even more offended by this question than by her previous insult. But then, she remembered that the last date she had been on was over a century ago with...

 **"No, Lieutenant. Please, enlighten me on what a date should be like. What do I wear? Do I meet him there or have him meet me here? What should we talk about?"**

The questions came out flat, unexcited, but underneath her cool exterior, Chessebelle felt a spark of something. It might be worthwhile to give this whole dating thing a try now that it had been so long. Maybe Rangiku could give her some advice on what to say to Ikkaku-or maybe she could direct Shuhei in her direction.

A strange, yet familiar, wash of nerves suddenly consumed her.

Her stomach felt like it was tying itself into knots in anticipation.

She was going to go on a date, with a very handsome man.


	38. 15 Barracks

Privacy wasn't something that most of the new recruits had in the Gotei 13. There were about eight to twelve people in one room, bunk beds on either side of the room and a small area in the middle to move about.

Bath houses were provided to each of the barracks, most of the divisions having two or three at their disposal. Most of the divisions would separate the recruits to one bath house, seated members to another, and a private one for the captain.

Due to the close quarters, it wasn't uncommon for a sense of modesty among the lower ranks of the Gotei 13 to completely be erased. Chessebelle was used to seeing men and women naked constantly due to these circumstances, but by the time she became a seated officer in the second division she hadn't realized what she was missing.

It was amazing to finally go to a bath house and not have to be scrunched against stranger's bodies or worry about not getting any hot water. With only a maximum of 20 seated members in each division, Chessebelle found out rather quickly that more often than not you had the bathhouse to yourself.

She sighed as she sank deeper into the water, submerging herself just below her nose and closing her eyes in luxurious relaxation. It might not a bad idea to just sit here all night...

 **"Do you mind if I join or do you want me to come back later?"**

Chessebelle had felt spriitual pressure nearby, but she hadn't realized it was Akon as he stood next to the edge of the pool of water. Immediately, the woman let out a strangled cry, grabbing at the towel behind her head hastily and standing, wrapping the towel around her in a swift motion.

 **"Take it, I was just getting out,"** The woman nearly slipped getting out of the steaming water, her face flushing as she hurriedly left. Akon was apathetic, giving a small shrug as he disrobed and sunk himself into the water.

More often than not, she had the bath house to herself.

But sometimes, her privacy would be breached once more.


End file.
